Chandigarh Renewable Energy and Science and Technology Promotion Society (CREST) has invited bids to empanel engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) companies, manufacturers, suppliers, and system integrators to develop grid-connected rooftop solar projects of capacities ranging from 1 kW to 500 kW in Chandigarh.

The last date to submit the bids is November 11, 2022. Bids will be opened on November 14.

The scope of work includes design, manufacture, supply, erection, testing, commissioning, and maintenance for five years.

The validity of the empanelment will be only up to March 31, 2023, and may be extended at the discretion of CREST.

The invitation is open to all EPC companies, manufacturers, and system integrators of solar power projects which have not been debarred by any government organization for the design, manufacture, supply, installation, and commissioning of different capacities of rooftop solar systems.

Bidders must submit an earnest money deposit of ₹50,000 (~$604.25).

The financial criteria, performance bank guarantee amounts and central financial assistance (CFA) details of the tender are given below:

After crossing the limit of the CFA claimed by empanelled agencies, an additional performance bank guarantee amounting to ₹100,000 (~$1,209) per ₹800,000 (~$9,675) of CFA claim valid for six years should be submitted in the form of an irrevocable bank guarantee. If a vendor is empanelled in one or more categories, then the bidder must submit a single performance bank guarantee of the highest capacity opted.

CREST will provide up to 40% CFA for rooftop solar systems with up to 3 kW capacity. For rooftop systems of capacity above 3 kW and up to 10 kW, the CFA of 40% would be applicable only for the first 3 kW capacity, and for capacity above 3 kW, it would be 20%. For group housing societies or residential welfare associations, CFA will be limited to 20% for installing the rooftop system to supply power to common facilities.

The companies should have their service network within a radius of 50 km from Chandigarh.

The solar modules should be warranted for 25 years from the project’s commissioning date for their output peak watt capacity, which should not be less than 90% at the end of ten years and 80% at the end of 25 years.

The modules must be domestically manufactured using domestically manufactured solar cells. They should be from the Approved List of Models and Manufactures issued by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

The successful bidder must provide a device to monitor solar generation through a web-enabled uni-directional solar meter, a web-enabled solar inverter, or a separate remote monitoring device.

Last June, CREST had invited expressions of interest from EPC companies, manufacturers, and system integrators to empanel for setting up grid-connected rooftop solar systems of capacity 1 kW to 10 kW in Chandigarh.

Earlier, CREST had invited bids for setting up 2 MW (varying from 2kW to 100 kW) of grid-connected rooftop solar systems at various government buildings and institutions in Chandigarh.

Subscribe to Mercom’s India Solar Tender Tracker for timely updates on all solar tenders issued by various agencies in India.